BatNoter vs Laverna
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | BatNoter | Laverna |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 18 · At risk | 24 · At risk |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,421 | ★ 9,171 |
| First released | 2022 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Standard Notes, Evernote | Evernote, Simplenote |
What are BatNoter and Laverna?
BatNoter
BatNoter is an open-source, Markdown-based note-taking web application that stores all notes in a user's own Git repository. It provides an editor with preview and keeps notes versioned and portable.
- Notes stored in your Git repo
- Markdown editor with preview
- Versioned, portable notes
- Self-hosted backend
Laverna
Laverna is an open-source, web-based note-taking application with Markdown support and client-side encryption. It can store notes locally or sync via Dropbox or remoteStorage and can be self-hosted as a static app.
- Client-side encryption
- Markdown editor
- Offline support
- Static self-hosted app
BatNoter vs Laverna: key differences
BatNoter is written in TypeScript, while Laverna is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — MIT for BatNoter versus MPL-2.0 for Laverna. Laverna is the more established project (first released 2014), while BatNoter arrived in 2022. Laverna has the considerably larger community, at 9,171 GitHub stars versus 2,421. BatNoter lists first-class Docker deployment; Laverna does not.
Why pick each one
Choose BatNoter if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Choose Laverna if…
- Strong privacy focus
- No backend required
Watch out for
- Development has stalled
- Aging codebase
Frequently asked questions
Is BatNoter or Laverna better?
Laverna is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider BatNoter if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are BatNoter and Laverna free and open-source?
Yes. BatNoter is licensed under MIT and Laverna under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run BatNoter and Laverna with Docker?
BatNoter: yes. Laverna: check the project docs for container support.